Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-02-11


River Junction on that train just 81 pas
sengers, II in the Pilgrim, two in the
smoker and the rest in the passengers :
am required TO make report to my Cen.
tral ticket office OF every passenger car
ripd on a train after each trip ANA SO it is
a matter Of record and not of memory; |
am required also to report also the number
that ride in the Pullman car on my train
on each trip there might have been "A
few children on the train not large enough
enough to pay fare, us do not remem Der
particularly regarding it.
AT the evening session of the investiga-
ton James Fitzpatrick Il section boss.
was first sworn. At a late hour Saturday
morning he went up to the bridge to fix
the track so as to get cars to it: found
three rails broken and got three new ones
to replace them saw Il decided mark on
the outside of the rall which cannot be
accounted for by ne; something scraped
heavily the whole length OF the lett hand
rail from the first broken rail clear TO the
bridge just inside.
Deuuls Mackesey, section man, John V.
Wilson and Patrick Farrell, car inspec-
tors, testified in regard to work done by
them.
polly Arel of Chicopee Falls testified :.
Was in the second passenger car, seventh
seat from the end on right side was
awake, noticed the shake of the car; it did
not turn over but went down straight and
struck rear end first At Bellows Falls
while waiting, another lady and myself
discussed as to how many were in the car
and we counted them. | know there were
just seven ladies, two small boys and IS
men, making u in all when cars struck.
laid still little while and could see
the moon above me through the window =:
l reached up and got my body partly
through when IA mau under me pulled me
back, saying he would get out first and then
help me did not see him again as he left
me to get out alone: should think it was
about ID minutes from the time the car
went down until got out did not see my
car burning, but when got out cars on
both sides of mine were in flames cannot
say how far the train went after the first
disturbance until they went down: lights
all went out in my car before it went
down and some windows were broken.
James kiley OF Burke, ~ y, was in the
noticed the car bob up and down
there was an awful jar at first, a
kind of shock it alarmed me. | spraup
to my feet, the conductor reached for the
rope and missed it reached for the rope
and missed it, reached it and gave
Jerk. We were going fast thought: they
were running on ties. | think the for
ward light in my car went out before the
car went over the side of the bridge but
don't think the rest OF them did, or that
any windows We're broken before we went
over | remember of only one child in the
car and that was a little boy who sat in the
seat ahead of me and seemed to be ac-
by a man; could not tell if the
car turned over; lost my senses when
we went over; when came to my senses
some one told me it mad been over five
kicked my way out fire caught
in my car from lamps cannot say which
end. | had only one boot on and
no hat did not know where to go: all
were crying out; went back to the sleeper
and heard lady crying for help picked
up something and smashed the window
and took her out and went away at once
my left arm was broken and | worked
with my right was not excited until
felt the car going over; think we were
running faster than usual in crossing
such long bridge; when | pulled the
bell cord | can not say whether there was
an application of the brakes.
Mary j. Graham, Medford, Mass, testi-
fled: Was in next to first sleeper: no
ticed that the cars were off the track and
I I,n ln1
thought they were running very fast to
make up lost time and had just spoken to
a man near me of the rapid speed no.
tced nothing of slowing up for the
bridge.
Joseph f. Jacques of Fltchburg, Mass,
was in the tirsC passenger car was awake
at the time of the accident knew the
car was of the track don't think the car
rolled over and over before it fell il
swung around at one end cannot say
which end; cannot say as to speed no
ticed no slowing up for the bridge when
we first went off saw no lights 20 out or
WINDOWS broken in my car think the
conductor was in our car saw some one
with uniform on pull the cord twice ::
cannot say whether brakeman or conduc-
tor. This concluded all the testimony of
the injured at the Junction House and
the commissioners went from there to the
Paine House TO see two or three more.
but their condition was such it was
thought best to defer Questioning them
until to morrow.
1t cannot be doubted but the board of
railroad commissioners are doing all pos
slble to get at the facts in regard TO the
recent disaster in order to locate the
blame therefor if any exists. Prof. Fetch
err being sworn, testified Am profes-
sor Of civil engineering at Dartmouth
college, Hanover was at the wreck dur
ing the day Saturday aud examined quite
"A number of pieces of broken rails | esti-
mated the distance from the broken rail
to the bridge to he 30 rods. The witness
produced three pieces OF broken rail /,
found them near the broken rail and sup
posed they were destined for the scrap
heap took these pieces simply to examine